This invention relates to paper blanks for use with a printer in a computer system, and in particular relates to a compound paper blank to be printed on by a computer printer.
Labels having pressure sensitive adhesive have been applied to drug containers for a long time by the pharmaceutical industry to identify the customer, the doctor, the drug being dispensed, and the frequency of the dosage. These labels usually can be purchased in bundles that can be fed into a computer driven printer. The information to be printed on one of the labels is either typed into the computer using a conventional pharmacy computer program or is retrieved from a stored record having been previously typed into the computer memory using the pharmacy computer program. Such a computer program also has automatically printed out receipts for the customer and records for the pharmacy.
The pharmaceutical industry has also been applying oblong or rectangular warning labels to the drug containers for some time. These warning labels warn the customer about certain events or provide instructions involving the prescribed drug. For example, a warning label may carry the message:
MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS; ALCOHOL MAY INTENSIFY THIS EFFECT. USE CARE WHEN OPERATING A CAR OR DANGEROUS MACHINERY.
The warning labels have been supplied to the pharmaceutical industry for some time in rolls of the same message.
Pharmacies have also been supplying customers with an instruction sheet containing information about the drugs they are purchasing. One type of such labels carry the brand name PAL (Patient Advisory Leaflet).
The prior art also contains references which teach the use of a computer system to generate prescription labels printed by a computer driven printer. Such references include the following U.S. patents, which are incorporated herein by reference: Baum U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,604; Olodort et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,174; and McKee U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,657. The prior art also contains references which disclose a manual form having an adhesive label portion used in combination for record keeping and generating a label to be applied to a drug container. Examples of U.S. patents, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclosing such forms are the Lockhart patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,277,089 and 4,159,129; and the Biava et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,712.
However, there is no known prior art reference which provides a blank for a computer printer that contains portions for both a removable prescription drug label and a removable warning label with portions for other printed information. Such a system would reduce package costs, provide greater flexibility, and be compatible with existing computer software used by pharmacies.
Accordingly the present invention is designed to provide a multi-part blank which can be fed in a computer driven printer and when printed, will contain all of the parts needed for a complete set. Such a set contains a peelable vial label having a pressure sensitive adhesive connected to removable strips of computer selected warning labels also having a pressure sensitive adhesive. The set also contains portions for printed information needed by both the pharmacy and the customer.
The present invention provides a printer blank which can cut expenses, reduce errors, and cut time in preparing records and drug containers for customers. In one particular embodiment of the invention, a single sheet of multisectional paper blank can be fed into a laser printer and on that one sheet there will be printed a drug advisory leaflet; no, one or more than one warning labels having a pressure sensitive adhesive on its back side for easy application to a drug container, and a drug container label containing drug, customer, and pharmacy information. This blank in one pass through the laser printer contains all of the necessary records and parts for the entire drug transaction.
According to one embodiment, the present invention comprises a blank for use with a printer for printing information and labels for drug containers. The blank comprises a sheet of a material having a front side that can be printed on with the printer, a back side, a top and bottom edge which together define a generally horizontal direction, and two side edges which together define a generally vertical direction. The sheet includes at least a first portion and a second portion divided by a first, generally vertically extending tear line or tear line that extends from the top edge to the bottom edge. In the first portion the printer prints text about the particular drug being prescribed, and in the second portion, which includes a label laminate divided into a first section and a second section by a generally horizontal, second tear line. The second section is further divided into a plurality of horizontal strips by at least two generally horizontal tear lines which extend from the first tear line to one of the side edges of the blank. The laminate is comprised of a backing sheet, a removable label sheet having a front side that can be printed on with the printer and a back side, and a pressure-type adhesive on the back side of said label sheet.
Other advantages, features, and details of the present invention will be set forth in or apparent from the detailed description thereof contained hereinbelow.